Monthly Archives: October 2008

If it seems like I’m not blogging much next week, it’s because, well, I won’t be blogging. I’ll be on vacation, doing my part to pump up the economy. It also means I will be thoroughly unplugged from the world … Continue reading →

Is help for home owners finally on the way? JP Morgan Chase bought Washington Mutual last month for $1.9 billion, an arranged marriage by the federal government. It gave Chase thousands of cruddy home loans that Wa Mu approved. What … Continue reading →

Holmdel-based Vonage Holdings Corp. can’t seem to cut a break. Last night the company announced that it had received a notification from the New York Stock Exchange that its stock, now trading below $1 a share, has fallen below the … Continue reading →

Competition for lowest scum is pretty fierce in the world of money, but I think you can make a pretty good case that scam artists who prey on the vulnerable are right at the bottom. Most of these scams are … Continue reading →

The U.S. economy contracted by .3 percent during the third quarter, according to figures released this morning by the Commerce Department. It showed the nation might be in a recession, but then, you probably already knew that. Quick background before … Continue reading →

It’s harder than ever for unemployed men and women over age 40 to find a job after being laid-off. And you would think that perhaps they are participating in federally-funded programs that are out there to help them with employment … Continue reading →

Yesterday was a nice day for the stock market, but since the Dow Jones industrial average these days is determined by a Magic 8-Ball, it’s hard to get any feeling for the future. But it is pretty clear that consumer … Continue reading →

I decided for Halloween I’m going to hand out little airplane bottles of liquor. We’re back at it today after the Dow’s 900-point jump yesterday. Will people take profits today? Will they decide stocks are still cheap and keep buying? … Continue reading →

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index dropped 23.4 points to 38, the third largest decline ever, and the lowest point ever, and a falling brick sign of just how dismal the economy is. It’s not that we needed any reminders. … Continue reading →

Lots of scary stuff lately. Stocks tanking. Jobs lost. Mass confusion. But one of the scariest stories I’ve read was in the New York Times Sunday, tucked away on page A10. It was about leaders in Europe and Asia gathering in … Continue reading →

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A look at how business news affects your world.

About the Authors

Michael DiamondMichael L. Diamond is a business writer at the Asbury Park Press, covering workforce and the economy. He worked at newspapers in Pennsylvania and California before joining the Press in 1999.E-mail Michael